Divorced or separated parents in California can make the stressful holiday times bearable by crafting a well-thought-out co-parenting plan. Here’s are some holiday arrangements you should consider.
Plan for the holidays before it arrives
Children whose parents don’t live together already find it hard dealing with the situation. That’s why in child custody cases, California judges try as much as possible to make stable arrangements for the children to make it easier to cope.
To avoid any last-minute disputes and uncertainties, you need to plan ahead with the other parent on how you will spend time with your child. In your negotiations, tell your former partner why you want to be with the child at certain times, and work out the best plan considering their schedule and desires too.
Split parenting time equally
There are special circumstances that would make the court unevenly split the parenting time between parents. However, on normal occasions, you should try to make a schedule that ensures you both spend equal amounts of time with your children.
If you live in different states, you can consider alternating years on holidays or split holidays. For instance, one parent can get Halloween and Thanksgiving in the same year while the other parents get the winter holidays.
Work on your gifts together
If gift-giving is involved, you need to work together with the other parent to come up with something that would make your child happy. You don’t want to give similar gifts or assume that the other parent will get something your child has always wanted.
If you cannot work with your former spouse, you can go through your mediator or a counselor to make this process fruitful. However, it is always better if you can put your feelings aside for the best interest of your child.
Make it official
Making your co-parenting plan official makes a custody settlement easier in court. This is even better because it’s you who’s deciding on how you want to be with your child, not a third party.
A successful co-parenting plan accommodates both parents and makes life easier for the children. Moreover, you can always change things depending on your situation.